Required readings would include passages from Old and New Testament for students in middle school
  • OR3X@lemmy.worldEnglish
    22·
    5 days ago

    If kids these days are anything like we were as kids being forced to do something will just result in that thing being mocked, derided, and never taken seriously… Outside of the already brainwashed kids, that is.

    • IronBird@lemmy.worldEnglish
      15·
      5 days ago

      easiest way to turn people away is to make em actually read that dumbshit themselves, there’s a reason priests pick and choose a couple snippets every week…

      • Jakeroxs@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        2·
        5 days ago

        Indeed, I had the benfit of agnostic parents and no forced church time, but I remember reading the bible a bit around 11-12 years old and thinking it was insane people believe that shit is real.

  • Lemminary@lemmy.worldEnglish
    5·
    4 days ago

    I was told there’s no better way to churn out atheists than to make them read from religious books. I hope it holds.

  • Telorand@reddthat.comEnglish
    7·
    5 days ago

    I doubt it. States have tried over and over again (both recently and in the past) to require the Bible, to require the 10 commandments, and on and on to no ultimate success. The Establishment Clause is clear, and this is more political theater from a Republican dominated government trying to gin up support for the midterms by creating a spectacle.

      • Telorand@reddthat.comEnglish
        1·
        5 days ago

        And yet none of the attempts in the last decade have stuck. Same SCOTUS.

        This is just political theater.

    • ThomasWilliams@lemmy.worldEnglish
      12·
      4 days ago

      There’s nothing in the constitution that prevents Bible Studies from being mandatory, it’s existed in the past.

      • Telorand@reddthat.comEnglish
        1·
        4 days ago

        Yes and no: the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment prevents the government from overtly favoring one religion over another, so if they want Bible studies in public schools, they’ll have to equitably provide Catholics, Satanists, Muslims, Witches, Polytheists, etc. the same deference and inclusion in teaching materials as Protestant Christianity.

  • heavyboots@lemmy.mlEnglish
    8·
    5 days ago

    To be honest, my junior year English teacher forced us to read the bible “to have a stronger basis for understanding western literature” and it had zero impact on my lack of religious beliefs. Literally, we spent like 2 or 3 months on that crap. Looking back it was a pretty obvious scam by her, but it had zero impact in the direction that she wanted it to have impact.

    • degen@midwest.socialEnglish
      3·
      5 days ago

      I can get the cultural relevance, but between world history, the enlightenment, and American revolution, Christianity is basically covered in history class already. Not to mention the exposure from society at large.

      Like maybe have a religious studies elective if you’re really feeling it. Requirement is crazy though, and it’s not like reading the bible is about to convert any kids as you experienced.

      The more I think about it, I feel like meaningful study of anything biblical is past high school level to begin with.

  • frustrated_phagocytosis@fedia.io
    3·
    5 days ago

    I was already required to read Bible passages in Texas public high school. Got my only C in a English class because apparently my interpretation of David wasn’t up to snuff.